The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-02-10
Proceedings of the Preble C0un-
ty Farmers Institute.
EATON, ONO, Feb, 3, 1887.

EATON, OHIO, Feb. ., 1881.
By arrangement of the State Board of Ag
riculture, the third annual meeting of the Pre-
BILE County Farmers Institute convened a
Eaton, Feb. Sd, 1887, at 1890 a. m, and or
ganized by the appointment of W. Fl. Snyder
Chairman, and your humble subscriber as
Secretary.
After prayer by Rev. j. G. Bishop, of Ea.
ton, and music by the choir, the Rev. James
McGregor, President of Oxford Farmers
Club, Of Oxfork, o., was introduced by the
Chairman and delivered a lecture on "Home
Life on the Farm" The time for this lee.
ture was limited, but it was one of the most
truthful and c~ommendable that has ever beer
listened to by the Institute. Mr.. McGregol
forcibly referred to the evil effects brough,
into the farm home by the efforts therein
made to keep pace with and in the attempts
That in doing so, and in allowing it to sup
plant the simple yet truly comfortable sur
roundings of the home the loss in true com
fort and enjoyment too often follows, and thai
the school of industry, in which the children
of the farm are reared, is more than all 9th.
ers best calculated to ft them for upright
useful and practical manhood and w~omanhood
His Suggestions in regard to the influence Of
we'll selected literature and chaste amuse-
ments, if followed, would give attractiveness
to many monotonous homes, either Oil or oh
the farm.
At the conclusion of the lecture ard after
music by the choir, an adjournment was made
to O'Clock p. m.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The meeting was called to order at 1:30, and
after some excellent music by the choir, Mr..
L. N. Bonham, Secretary of the Ohio State
Board of Agriculture, was presented. Before
taking up the subject of his lecture Mr.. Bon
ham urged on his audience that to fully reach
the object of, and to derive the greatest
of benefit from Farmers Institutes,
the farmers themselves must take part there
in by joining in the discussion of general farm
topics, and by questions, &c. The subject OF
Mr.. Bonhamis lecture was "Our Main Crop"
Corn, the cereal most adapted to the wants of
man and domestic animals, and therefore the
most extensively grown Of all others, is IN
doubtedly entitled to the claim put upon it by
Mr.. Bonham, as "the main crop of our coun-
He pointed out its future prospective
profits compared with the profits of other
crop products, to the less competing influence
es to be brought to bear upon it by foreign
of it's being the crop above all
if judiciously used after production,
that will not only enable the producer tn re-
alize a profit on the product, but will at the
same time afford him the means of maintain
ing or increasing the fertility of his soil. Z
Preparation of soil, seed, change of seed
from one latitude to another, cultivation, har-
of corn and fodder, cost of producing,
&C., were each embodied in his subject, max
ing it a comprehensive and profitable talk,
at the close of which Capt. Dasher, Mr.. Clark,
Capt. Tough and others sprung a number OF
questions, to all Of which he cheerfully ans
After a song by Miss Winnie Darragh, ac-
companied by Mrs. Conger at the organ, the
Rev. James McGregor again spoke on 'sThe
Wheat Problem" in which he called atten-
ton to our increasing disadvantages sustain
ed in competing with foreign wheat produced
with cheaper labor. He suggests State and
national legislation to discriminate the pres
emit wheat gambling schemes that render the
precarious and lure men into moral
and financial bankruptcy. Like Mr.. Bonham,
he does not believe the future outlook for pro-
in wheat growing to be Of a fattering ma
ture.
After music by the choir and a short talk
by Mr.. Bonham on the organization of Farm
sainment, &C., the Institute adjourned until
seven o'clock p. n.
EVENING SESSION. Z
In the absence of Chairman Snyder, Capt.
W. Fl. Tough was chosen Chairman for the
by the choir, after which Secretary
delivered his lecture entitled "In-
sect Enemies of Corn" This subject is in q
sense a continuation of his topic Of the after
noon. He noted the long continuance of the
crop without proper change of rotation, one
Of the chief causes of the increased propega-
ton of insects. of the many species Of in
sects that are enemies to and prey upon the
corn crop, (something over 40 different spe-
he spoke more particularly of the more
and destructive, showing their differ
emit stages of existence and propagation, their
habits, &C.; also referring to the best present
known effective means of destroying and.con-
against their rayages, and of the help
and cooperation furnished by nature in the
many different birds and animals that feed
upon and destroy such enemies, recommend
to the former the energetic use of all
methods in the destruction of these
enemies of the chief cereal of our
and. Mr.. b. did not confne his thoughts to
as pests and enemies, but generously
to the many friends and helpful al
of the agriculturist to be found in the in
sect kingdom. The subject throughout was
instructive and interesting.
The lecture was followed with a duet by
Miss Albright and Mr.. Guild, with Mrs. Com
ger at the organ.
Prof. ii. J.. Detmore, Professor of Veterina-
~ Surgery in the Ohio State University, was
introduced and gave a lecture on "The Con-
and Infectious Diseases of Animals"
Prof. Detmore first defined the difference be-
tween contagious and Infectious diseases and
the relation they hold. He mex proceeded to
show to how great an extent the various para
sites existing in air, water, vegetable matter,
&C., are responsible for the prevalence and
spread of such diseases, of the scientific ex-
periments and tests in the line of discovering
causes Of, means of prevention and remedies
for such diseases. He spoke at length of the
vitality under extreme circumstance of many
of these parasites, and of the many ways in
which they, and therefore disease is spread
the land. The Professors lecture
was scientific, and gave abundant evidence
of scholarly veterinary knowledge.
After the lecture Miss Winnie Darragh,
with Mrs. Conger at the organ, again favored
the audience with a song entitled: ode Cabin
de Mississippi" which was so well re-
that she was encored.
The meeting was then adjourned to 10 a. m.
of the day following.
SECOND DAYS SESSION.
The exercises were opened with prayer BY
Rev. James McGregor, of Oxford, after which
Prof. Detmore gave his lecture on "Swine
Plague" commonly called hog cholera. 1t is
highly probable that no one has given this
widely important subject so much s~cieatifc
study and research as Prof. Detmore. He
shows that the disease is an Infectious one
and may be transmitted to other animals, and
to human beings, but refutes the somewhat
prevalent idea of its being more liable to thu
higher improved breeds of swine than to 9th
erS. He noted the symptoms denOtlng the
coming on of the disease and those indicating
fatal results; also illustrating appearances il
the different stages of advance or abatement
The cause of the disease by ABSORPTION of bac'
terra, in but two possible ways, is the conclu
sion reached by scientific researches. Mos
efficient means of prevention was also dwell
upon, as well as means of treatment during
disease. Evidently he possesses a clear knowl'
edge of the plague, that, if disiminated among
m fornars wnuld caya them vast l0SSQS hy
this disease.
Adjourned to l o'clock p. m.
SESSION.
Rev. G. Baughman, of Eaton, opened witt
prayer, followed with music by the choir.
A lecture on "The Labor Question:" BY
Rev. Jas. McGregor, of Oxford, was present
ed-not the momentous labor question agita'
ted by Anarchists and labor unions, for which
the entire country are to-day awaiting a so
luton, but he confined his remarks chiefly te
the labor as employed on the farm; clearly
d;souceipr tho ralofiva valua IF skillod onr